Decisions
by The Steppy One
Summary: After the war, Hermione is presented with opportunity after opportunity to take her career in any direction she wants, but what is the right decision for her and, more importantly, her and Ron?


**::waves:: 'Nother one shot for you... **

**Author's Note:** It feels weird calling Hermione, 'Hermione Jean' after years of her being 'Hermione Jane', but I folded to DH canon so in this fic she is Hermione Jean Granger. sigh  
This _may_ be the start of a bigger fic, I have reasons for wanting to take it further but I'm also aware of reasons why I really shouldn't. If I can develop the plot bunny that has attached itself to my brain, then I'll seriously consider taking it on. If you'd lik to read a bit more into this little post DH canon 'verse of mine then let me know:D  
Okay the whole point behind this was my inability to accept that Hermione would be okay with being away from Ron and Harry for a whole year while at school. Don't get me wrong, I understand that she'd want to go back to school and finish her education - it's Hermione!!! - but I don't see her being happy with being in the castle while Ron and Harry are out rebuilding the Auror department with Kingsley. So this is why I wrote this one-shot. /justification  
Thanks, as ever, to the wonderful Solstice Muse for the read throughs and DeenaS on LJ or the beta :D.  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own the Harry Potter characters, I am merely playing with them. I shall return them when I'm done!

* * *

**Decisions**

---

The heavy, official envelope lay in her open hands and she stared at it intently. She read the words on the front one more time, having done so at least five times in the last minute already.

_Hermione Jean Granger,_

_c/o The Burrow,_

_Ottery St Catchpole_

_Devon_

The ink was black and the writing slanted. Something about the letters didn't look right to her. Well, actually, they looked too right. There were no imperfections in the strokes that formed the letters of her name and the address, like they had been printed by a machine. Her thoughts wandered to bewitched quills that did all the mundane jobs at the Ministry of Magic and hovered over the spells and magic needed to produce such a quill.

She was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't hear the footsteps behind her and she, therefore, jumped when a hand touched her on the shoulder. Her hand was halfway to her wand when the person made himself known.

'Hermione! It's me!'

Heart still hammering beneath her ribs, she took a deep breath and managed a half smile. She had dropped the letter in the kerfuffle and bent down to retrieve it off the floor.

Ron sat next to her on the wall, one leg on either side of the roughly cut stone and facing her.

'I didn't mean to scare you. I thought you'd hear me coming so I didn't say anything.'

She smiled at his concerned face.

'I know, it's my fault, I was miles away.'

The smile slipped from her face as she came back to the reason she was outside on her own in the first place.

'What's wrong?' he asked, his brow furrowing in concern.

'Nothing,' she replied, a sigh in her voice.

Ron raised his eyebrows and looked at her. She was avoiding his gaze but after a few seconds, couldn't ignore Ron obviously looking at her.

'If you don't want to tell me, it's okay, I'll leave you alone…if that's what you want.'

That was the last thing she wanted. It had been a very bizarre week, one that she had spent every waking minute with Ron, but hadn't had time to talk about anything of significance, or anything important to them.

They had been to funeral after funeral, had ignored owl after owl from the press requesting interviews (eventually Kingsley had banned the press from talking to the three of them and, eventually, all the Weasleys) and generally just collapsed from exhaustion at the end of each day.

The two of them had shared hugs, quick goodnight kisses and far too many tears, but the status of their 'relationship' still hadn't been talked about, and it was this fact that made Hermione's decision all the harder.

'I don't want you to go. Will you sit with me?'

'Of course I will.'

She reached over and took his hand.

'So, what's got you so thoughtful? I mean, I know it doesn't take a lot of encouragement to get your brain working, but…it's different than normal.'

She didn't say anything, just handed the letter to Ron.

'The Ministry?' Ron asked, before looking at the seal on the back.

'Yeah.'

'Why haven't you opened it?'

'I think I know what it says.'

'Wouldn't you like to open it and see if you're right?' he asked with a smile.

She shuffled and pulled a folded envelope out of her back pocket and handed that one to Ron, too.

He smiled when he recognised the green ink.

'Hogwarts.'

He held the envelopes side by side.

'You've opened the Hogwarts one, but not the Ministry one.'

'I didn't know what the Hogwarts one said.'

'So, what does it say?'

She took a deep breath and turned towards Ron.

'It says I'm welcome to go back in September and take my N.E.W.Ts if I want. McGonagall said there would be no problem and that the new Headmaster wants students who had to cut their education short for the war to come back and finish, if they want to.'

Ron gave Hermione a confused smile.

'Should I be offended that I didn't get a letter?'

Hermione smiled.

'No, McGonagall knows you and Harry have already joined the Auror department, so she knew not to send you one.'

'But you…'

'But I haven't accepted anything yet, so she thought I should know all my options.'

'Right. But you don't know what it says in that envelope yet. Isn't that the third one the Ministry's sent you?'

Hermione nodded.

'Yes.'

'So…why don't you open it and then you really will know all your options.'

'To be honest, it doesn't matter what that letter says, I mean…if it's like the other two, it'll be a letter asking me to join a different department. It doesn't matter what department it is, the only choice I really have to make is whether I go into full time work, regardless of career path, or…or go back to school.'

Ron frowned.

'Hermione…I…I know I don't always get things right when it comes to knowing you, and what you think, but I think I know you well enough to know that finishing school is what you really want to do. It's what you love! Learning and testing yourself…I think you'd regret not getting your N.E.W.Ts when you had the perfect opportunity to do so.'

She smiled at him.

'Well, if you put it like that, then it does sound like the most logical option…'

'But…?'

'But, there's other things to think about. Other people to think about.'

She looked at Ron and he smiled at her. He reached towards her and put his hands on her waist, encouraging her to turn away from him. She smiled and swung her leg over the wall and shuffled back into Ron. He leaned in towards her and held her tenderly.

Ron cleared his throat.

'Hermione, I…I don't…' he huffed in frustration at his inability to say what he wanted. 'I don't want to be the reason why you don't…why you don't do what you want to do… okay, wait, I think that may have sounded wrong, and very self-centred!'

Hermione chuckled and let her head fall back against Ron's shoulder.

Ron took a deep breath and tightened his grip around Hermione's waist.

'I know we haven't had a lot of chance to talk about…things…us…in any way, but I have wanted to. I've wanted to say things that made you all happy and then snog me senseless like you did at Hogwarts, and…until now, it's not really been very appropriate, either.'

Hermione nodded.

'I want…' he continued, pausing to take a deep breath before he got to the point of his speech, 'I want things to be…official…between us. I want to be your boyfriend and I want you to be my girlfriend.'

Subconsciously, he tightened his grip around her once more. Despite his actions, she took his hands in hers and shuffled around so she was facing Ron.

'But I don't want that to stop you going back to school. I know how much it means to you.'

Hermione laced her fingers in between Ron's and looked at him.

'But you mean more to me than going back to school! I want you to be my boyfriend and you have no idea how long I've waited for you to tell me that you want me to be your girlfriend…' she paused and gave Ron a cheeky smile, wanting her words to sink in before she continued. Ron turned faintly pink and gave an embarrassed smile.

'…and after everything we've done and everything we've been through I…I don't think I can be apart from you for too long. I'm not ready to disappear from you for weeks at a time. The occasional Hogsmeade weekend isn't enough, and to be honest…I don't know if I can go back to school life and how it used to be. I want to finish my education, of course I do, but there's still so much unrest out there and I'd feel so…left out if I was sat at school only hearing what the Prophet reported.'

She laughed in a disbelieving way.

'I think what I'm trying to say is I'm being greedy and want the best of both worlds. I want to finish my education but live like I'm working. If only there could be a happy medium!'

Ron frowned.

'Why can't there be?'

It was Hermione's turn to frown.

'What do you mean?'

Ron continued to frown. He reached behind him and picked up the two letters he had placed on the wall next to him.

'This one's thicker than the other one's you've been sent.'

'Ron…what's that got to do with there being a happy medium?'

Ron shook his fringe out of his eyes.

'Sorry, different train of thought. I've only just realised, this envelope's much thicker than the other ones the Ministry have sent you, but what more can they say than 'please join our department, if you fancy it then we'll set up an appointment for you to come and see us'?'

'Yes, I do believe those have been their exact words!' Hermione said through a laugh.

Ron grinned. 'Exactly! So, why is this one thicker?'

Hermione took the envelope off Ron.

'I suppose there's only one way to find out, isn't there?'

She broke the seal on the back and pulled the pages out of the envelope. She unfolded them and her eyes scanned over the Ministry header and her temporary address written at the top of the page and rested on the words, Dear Miss Granger.

She cleared her throat and started to speak.

'_Dear Miss Granger, I am_…wait, I am, it's always been we before. The other departments didn't have someone specific writing to me.'

'Told you this one was different! Carry on reading.'

'_I am writing to offer you a place on a programme we are starting in the coming months. It isn't something we have done in a few years, but this is the perfect opportunity to start it up again and you are the perfect candidate to benefit from it._

_'I have to admit, I was told by my superiors to offer you a place in the department outright, but after a discussion with Professor McGonagall I thought this would be the better option._

_'Initially, I contacted her to gain a reference in regard to your grades while at school and your general discipline and attitude. Professor McGonagall provided me with what I requested but added a footnote stating that she was hoping you would return to school to complete your studies as she believed you wanted._'

Ron chuckled. 'Teacher's pet!'

'Oh shush!' Hermione retorted with a grin. She continued reading.

'_After reading Professor McGonagall's comments and her extra footnote, I spoke to my superiors and we have come to agree on the aforementioned programme. We intend to-'_

Hermione stopped reciting and her eyes widened as she scanned the rest of the paragraph.

'No…no surely not!'

Ron's patience ran out quite quickly.

'What?' he asked excitedly.

Hermione continued to read.

'But…but that's…'

'What? What's what?'

Hermione lifted her eyes from the parchment and a smile slid across her face.

'This may be the happy medium you thought there could be.'

'Really?'

'Really! They're starting up an induction programme into the department. They used to take a couple of students who were in their seventh year of Hogwarts who wanted to pursue a career in Magical Law and have them work in the department for one day a week, to gain experience working but still managed their N.E.W.Ts as well.'

She looked at him and grinned.

'And?' Ron asked, getting excited despite not knowing what he was getting excited about.

'They want me to do the same! If I want to of course.'

'So you get to complete your N.E.W.Ts and get to work part-time in the Ministry learning the ropes before…before what?'

'Before working there full-time. That's one of the things they ask. If they put the work in preparing you to work at the Ministry, then they ask that you continue to work in that department for two years after.'

Ron frowned.

'Magical Law? After what you told Scrimgeour about not wanting to pursue a career in Magical Law and do something worthwhile?'

Hermione thought for a second.

'Well, I know what I said, but, it's annoying really. As much as I hated the idea initially, when we were on our little Quest around the country, when I didn't have anything else to worry about or contemplate, which happened about four times in the ten months we were hiding from the evil doers, I dared myself to think about 'the future' should I survive, and, as much as I would have hated to admit it, the idea of working in the Department of Magical Law grew on me.

'I'm not a fighter, Ron. I'm not you or Harry. I went with you and Harry on our little adventure because it was the right thing to do, not because I particularly wanted to or thought it was a good idea, or something that I thought would be a good thing to experience, but because I had to. We had to do it because we couldn't let Harry do it alone. You and Harry are the people who can go out there and be Aurors. I can't. But…Magical Law I can do.'

Ron smiled.

'So, this is perfect then, isn't it?' he asked.

Hermione's face fell as she looked at the letter once more.

'It is, isn't it,' she stated flatly.

'You don't sound convinced.'

'It still stops me from seeing you.'

Hermione looked into Ron's eyes and in that instant realised that she couldn't board at Hogwarts. There were still reports of random acts of violence and terrorism throughout the Wizarding community, she hated the idea of not being on hand if something happened.

Despite willing herself to stay strong, tears burned her eyes. She blinked rapidly, trying to stop them from falling, but Ron noticed and he frowned.

He stood up and pulled her up after him. He wrapped his arms around her and held onto her tightly. She mirrored his actions and pressed every inch of herself possible into Ron.

'Don't cry,' he whispered. 'Look, what if it's as simple as you just coming home every day after your lessons finish. You're of age, so technically they can't stop you. I think that if you asked McGonagall, I really don't think she'd say no to you, do you? You can Apparate to school, ready for your lessons and then Apparate home when you're done.'

She daren't get her hopes up. It was too easy a solution to her 'problem'.

'Do you honestly think that's a possibility?'

He pulled back from her and brushed the hair out of her eyes.

'Why wouldn't it be? Seventh year isn't compulsory, Fred…Fred and George proved that. You can legally Apparate, so that isn't a problem, and you can actually do it without splinching yourself, so that's also a bonus.'

Hermione smiled.

'Is it really that simple? I go back to school, study for my lessons, but come home each afternoon to either my parents' when they're back--'

'Or here. You know you're always welcome here. Mum and Dad said so.'

'Or here. And whenever the Ministry want me, I'm there instead of school.'

'Sounds like a plan.'

'I'd call it perfect but I don't want to jinx things, so I'll just be happy instead!'

She looked into Ron's smiling face. He was gazing into her eyes and seemed lost in thought.

'What?' she asked, suddenly nervous.

'Sorry, I was going to spontaneously kiss you, but starting thinking about it.'

Hermione blushed.

'Oh, well…I'll wait.

She smiled cheekily and Ron chuckled.

'Oh you will, will you?'

'Well, I can't be the one to instigate snogging sessions all the time now, can I?'

Ron laughed out loud.

'And what makes you think it will turn into a snogging session?'

She leaned in closer to him and licked her lips.

'I'd call it instinct.'

Ron brought his lips down to hers and kissed her, slowly and carefully at first as if savouring every moment. Hermione moved her hand up his back and to his too-long hair, running her fingers through it as Ron deepened the kiss.

She felt him tentatively trace his tongue along her top lip and then kiss her softly again as if asking her permission to take things a little further. She parted her lips and mirrored Ron's actions, then gently pushed between Ron's lips and his tongue darted out to meet hers.

Ron brought his hands into Hermione's hair and then gently slid down her back pulling her into him. They kissed for minutes, learning, exploring and pleasing the other. Their tongues danced together, although inexperience of each other caused their teeth clashed on occasion, but it just added to their discovery of each other.

As much as they tried to ignore it, the evening breeze was chilling them more than they appreciated. Hermione started to shiver.

Their kisses slowed and became less frantic and then they just held each other. Ron rubbed Hermione's back and arms, trying to give her warmth but still she shivered.

'Come on,' he whispered. 'Inside. I don't want you getting too cold.'

Hermione smiled at Ron and looked at where she expected her letters to be. The breeze had taken them off the wall – which she was slightly surprised to see between her feet, having had her mind on other things for the past five minutes – so she picked them off the ground, gathered the pages together and folded them neatly.

Ron stepped over the wall and held his hand out for Hermione to take.

She grinned and laced her fingers through his. They started walking through the garden to the back door. Just as Hermione was about to turn the large metal handle, Ron pulled her back. She stumbled over her feet and fell into Ron, who, luckily, caught her and steadied her.

She raised her eyebrow at him.

'Sorry,' he said with a chuckle.

'Is there a reason why you stopped me going in the house?' Hermione asked with a grin.

'Yeah there is. I just…I just want to make sure we know what the other's thinking. We've gone for far too long without telling each other the way things are and I don't want that to happen anymore, plus I need to ask you this properly. So, here goes. Hermione, would you go out with me? Be my girlfriend and, you know…'

Hermione giggled.

'Of course I will. Thank you for officially asking me.'

Ron gave her a quick kiss and opened the door to The Burrow.

'Thank you for officially saying "yes."'


End file.
